Flowers of Fire
by ImmortalWishes
Summary: Sakura's army is slaughtered before her eyes. The enemy is the feared Li Kingdom. What will Sakura do now that she has been captured by the Prince, who strips her of her magic? Will Sakura's hatred for Prince Li change into something else? please review!
1. Alone and Angry

**A/N: **I believe that a true adventure story needs everything! Anger, revenge, loneliness, jealousy, attraction, hatred, love and lust. I hope you read and review to give me the inspiration to write more. I think this could potentially be a really good story so help me out with the comments and support!

**SUMMARY:** Sakura is the commander of an army that has been brutally slaughtered before her eyes. After losing her powers, Sakura is found by Syaoran, the Li Prince, heir to the most feared Kingdom, who disguises her as a peasant. Sakura must thwart his interest and the death wishes the witches and sorcerers of the kingdom throw at her while trying to complete her mission of saving Princess Daidouji and defeating the sorcerers of Sorlor. Full of magic, anger, revenge, love and lust.

**Chapter One:**

**Alone and Angry**

It seemed like the world was disappearing before her eyes; everything she had lived for, everything she had fought for. In that moment, she felt the full impact of the regret she had been shunning to the back of her mind for days; the regret she had suppressed with her stubborn, human, determination. It banged against her chest with great force and she felt like she would be brought to tears, though that remained impossible. The regret ate painfully at her heart and she realized that it would continue to grow until she could no longer take it, until she could no longer will herself to live. 'Perhaps this is his plan', she thought with disgust. 'Perhaps I do deserve such a cruel death.'

This was true and absolute torture. The people she had lived for were vanishing before her, and she had been frozen. She was paralyzed not out of fear, but by magic. Her green eyes alone roamed over the terrifying scene, his magic keeping her eyes open to watch the night of death she had led her men into. She felt as if her eyes were catching fire; that they were being burned by the blood of her men, and she vaguely believed that her eyes too had become crimson like the sky.

'Is this not fair?' She tried to force the accusing question out of her mind. 'Do I not deserve this?'

'Yes I do, but those people do not.'

Long brown hair whipped her face and struck her eyes. They stung unbearably and watered only because of the strain, though she imagined the ghosts of real tears; tears of pain, tears of fear and tears of sheer guilt.

--

She awoke to a ravaged land. Bodies were strewn every which way and the green grass had become a musty red. She stiffly lifted herself from the ground only to be knocked back onto it. The wind had escaped her. Suddenly she could hardly breathe, remembering what had happened to her and her army. The memories flooded back to her in such a rush that she was disoriented. She was freezing and unable to move, weak from the exhaustion of her tormented soul. How long had it been? The rank smell of dried blood and death loomed in the air and engulfed her cold, shaking body. How long had she been lying there?

This was her punishment, she knew. She stared out across the dark red plains and at the bordering trees; trees she knew stretched for miles. There was no escape.

This was how she would die: alone.

She felt her chest heave as her breathing accelerated. She wondered if she would cry. At first, fear was all she felt, and then anger. 'Tears are for the weak,' her mind decided. And thus she replaced her grief with anger, an anger which rested in her heart easily; in the place it was accustomed to. She would keep her feelings from ever pouring out, for Sakura Kinomoto had never cried in her life, and never intended to.

--

'How long will it take for night to fall?' Sakura wondered as she peered at the night sky. It was clear and resolute, reflecting the opposite of that which she felt inside her. She was plagued by vicious thoughts: thoughts of murder, conviction, lies and treachery. But the most prominent of all were thoughts of death, the death of her comrades and the looming death of – herself.

'What am I going to do?' She was lost in the dense forest. She had left the forsaken land on which her army had taken its defeat. At first she had wandered aimlessly, a body without a soul, looking for nothing. Then she collapsed again, having been tripped by the root of a very large tree. She now sat in between its massive roots. Its branches hung low and it leaves were large and dark green. They looked alien to Sakura, leaves she had never come across before on her days of trekking through the forest searching with her soldiers.

Her soldiers…

Her friends…

Daniel, Oren, Lewis...

She bent her head down and heaved in what one would call sobs, but there were no tears. Sakura breathed in and out, her heart aching for her soldiers, her students, her comrades. She lifted her head to bang it against the hard bark of the tree in frustration. But there was no use for mourning now. She was lost and needed to figure out what to do next. Yet she could not think straight, she was full of much too many disturbing thoughts.

She tried to think straight; she breathed in the cold musk of the forest. Oh how she loved the smell of the earth. It filled her lungs and calmed her.

Who was she to break down like this? She was a respected leader. Her soldiers had followed her without any doubt, without any questions. She was Merlin to them.

She was immediately angered by the name. She was enraged. She was a fraud.

Her soldiers had named her so because of her peculiar and admirable abilities. They were certainly not like the powers of witches and sorcerers; they were not as dark or disturbing. She had the powers of the earth. She had the elements under her control: fire, wind, rain, thunder. She could make swords out of thin air, bring light to dark nights, help them dream happy dreams when loneliness crept up on them, call out to them so that missing soldiers could find their way back to the group, erase the litter of the forest floor so that their path was made easier and so many more small but wonderful things. She was more than their commander; she was like a mother to them.

But she had failed. She had failed to trust her instincts. Her nerve and determination had gotten in the way of obeying the signs that told her they would fail. And now her men were gone.

'We had needed to cross the great forest to get to the Princess,' she reminded herself. 'We hadn't had any time to waste.'

'No excuse!' Another part of her shouted in heart ache. 'Look at what you've done!'

She was alone. She was alone and she could not feel her aura at all. It was as if it had died along with part of her soul… along with her soldiers, her family, and now slowly and painfully, her heart was dieing too.

And the girl without hope sank into a heap and began to silently sob, as the ghosts of tears fell onto the dark forest floor.

--

Sakura awoke to a bright Sun. But however warm she felt from the rays resting on her skin, the sadness of reality hit her like a wall and she crumpled to the ground again.

Then she felt the breeze caressing her face. She was taken aback by this thought. Had the wind just tried to _soothe_ her?

Sakura could not help the small but strong feeling of joy that entered her heart. Were her powers back? Then she felt skeptical and confused. Never before had the elements reacted to _her_. They had always done her bidding and that alone.

But now the wind was unmistakably calming her, gently flowing along her skin, as if it were trying to caress her…

And then Sakura looked down at where she was lying. She had had a cold night but was comfortable. To her surprise, the ground on which she lay was covered in a thick bed of leaves. She did not remember making it so before she fell asleep.

Sakura's mind was drifted away from the sorrow of yesterday's defeat by the curiousity that filled her. No doubt her powers had changed.

She stood up slowly and looked around at the forest. It was much brighter than the day before, almost cheerful.

Then she heard cracking of forest litter as someone made their way towards her. Sakura froze, uncertain of what to do. Never before had she been caught so off-guard. Her senses had definitely weakened, and now she was trapped.

She hid behind the massive tree she had slept by the night before. She was appalled that she had to resort to such amateur methods but there was nothing else she could have done at the moment. She hadn't had enough time to test out an illusion.

The sounds of the creeping men grew closer and closer, and Sakura did not dare to breathe. From their shadows she could she that they were very close…

Then she sensed someone behind her. Sakura spun around too late. A hand clamped over her mouth and pushed her against the tree. Cold amber eyes stared into hers. She was terrified. Was this a Li soldier? Was this one of the men who had killed her comrades?

Then an anger pierced through Sakura's soul, an anger that burned through to her eyes. She could feel some of her aura again.

Time froze as Sakura willed it to. She could no longer hear the men moving around the tree, could no longer feel the breeze on her face and could no longer feel the warmth of the Sun.

Yet this man was still staring into her soul and his grip on her hadn't lessened.

Slowly his cold eyes lost their depth. Shock covered his face and he let his hands slip from their tight hold on Sakura. She took the moment to shove his arm away from her and punch him in the chest. He keeled over in pain and staggered backwards, eyes wide.

She started to make a run for it when she felt her knees buckle and saw the ground come rushing up to her. But she could not break her fall. Her arms were stuck at her sides in a binding curse. As she fell, a mixture of sadness and anger rushed through her. Yet again she had been paralyzed. And the image of the day before became vivid in her mind.

She felt time unfreeze and heard a man with a low and husky voice say: "do not touch her; I will carry her back myself."

"What's a peasant woman doing here in the middle of the forest Sir?"

"I do not know, but we are going to find out. Go and get my horse."

"Yes Prince Li."

A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. It's only the beginning. Please review and tell me what you think!

-ImmortalWishes


	2. Captured

**A/N: **Hi everyone, hope you enjoy this chapter! I love that some users have added this story to their "Story Alert" but please also review! I live for reviews! As does every other author on ff. I would really appreciate it :)

**Chapter 2:**

**Captured**

Sakura was angry. Very, _very_ angry.

She could not believe the situation she had gotten herself into. How embarrassing! She was the leader of the Maran Kingdom's third unit! How could she have been caught?

There were several things about that ride to the Li Kingdom that made Sakura quite uncomfortable. Firstly, she was paralyzed all throughout the journey, and was set into a seating position on one of the horses, facing the rider. Secondly, she was being ridden to the very core of the Li Kingdom, the most evil of all thrones she knew of, a reign that was spreading its greed everywhere, usurping the thrones of peaceful kingdoms.

This was something Sakura's people could not tolerate. They had the most powerful rule aside from the Li Kingdom; so powerful that they had hidden themselves with the ancient magic of their witches and sorcerers. Armies had been created in an attempt to seize and destroy the reign of the Li rule, but everything had gone terribly wrong. The Li Kingdom had its own set of witches and sorcerers, who were much more powerful than that of Sakura's land, thus King Maran's magical army had been defeated. Now the only powerful weapon the people had was – her. No one knew of how she attained her magic; there were rumors of her mother being a witch. However, the orphan girl's heritage could never be traced back. And all were just grateful that a child who appeared in the Kingdom at five-years-old, with no knowledge of who she was but her name, had turned out to be a powerful woman, who was on their side.

King Maran's strategy was to rescue the leaders of the remaining kingdoms before the Li's dark cloud captured them. The Maran Kingdom was hidden with strong magic from hundreds of years ago. The land was invisible to everyone but whoever knew its location. His army would go out to the other kingdoms, rescue the leaders and leave some of his soldiers in place to help train the people so that when the Li's came, they could stand a chance.

But the Li army was very powerful.

Now there was only one kingdom left, and it had been Sakura's mission to save the royal Daidouji family. King Maran had trusted her. She had proven herself throughout the years to be a skilled leader and fighter, but never before had a unit travelled with an army to a kingdom so far away and protected by enchantments. King Maran had put his full trust in Sakura…

And now she had failed.

She had failed so completely that she could not bear the regret that filled her heart. Her men were all gone, and now she was captured. Surely she would be tortured to reveal the Maran Kingdom's location… and then all would be lost.

But Sakura's thoughts of regret and hatred were now clouded by something else.

She had been straddled to a horse facing the rider, who was, to her horror, the Li Prince.

Sakura did not know how to feel. She was completely confused. This was the son of the most evil man of her time. He knew magic, for he had been active through her time freeze. He had amber, cold eyes… And he had… he had changed her appearance from a soldier to that of a peasant.

Why had he done such a thing?

Sakura had never been so close to a man, other than with a knife in hand. Now she was sitting right against one, and could feel the cold metal protective wear that was under his shirt and... she could feel his hot breath on her neck.

She felt an odd bubbling inside her, something she had never felt. Every time he breathed on her neck Sakura felt a tingling sensation. Her instincts told her to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck and press herself against his chest…

What was she thinking? This was the Li Prince! This was the son of an evil, evil man!

'But that doesn't make him evil…'

Sakura was appalled with herself. Never before had she felt feelings for a man, let alone an evil one! There had been times when soldiers in training had asked her inappropriate questions, but she had let them know that that could not be tolerated. She knew some of the men spoke behind her back wondering if she even liked men…

She had been wondering too, unsure if she'd ever fall in 'love'. She was so consumed by her chosen career path, too intimate with the art of killing that falling in love seemed such like a waste, for humans could be killed in seconds.

Sakura was above love. She didn't need it. And yet, her body was now telling her otherwise… telling her it needed something other than love.

Sakura could feel her heart pounding in anger and embarrassment now. She wondered if the Prince could hear it…

Prince Li… Prince of the Li Kingdom…

Sakura decided then that she had to _make_ herself move. She could not simply let them take her! She would be tortured and forced to share the location of the Maran Kingdom. And that was something she would never do, so long as she could help it.

Sakura concentrated on her fingers, she concentrated on moving them.

This took a lot more effort than she had expected. But with much concentration, she willed her fingers to move.

Sakura then felt Prince Li's body freeze. Perhaps he had sensed that his magic had been broken through...

Sakura's world went black.

--

Cold water dripped from an unseen hole in the ceiling and onto Sakura's sleeping form. It hit her cheek with a small splat and she awoke. She blinked and got up, looking around the small, dark room. Sakura let out a gasp as her eyes finally adjusted to her surroundings. She was in a dungeon.

Sakura stood up and walked around the perimeter of the room, scolding herself for being surprised. She was a Li prisoner now.

She had no windows. Her view outside the bars of her room was another stoned wall. She could see nothing of who approached her. Sakura mildly wondered if this was how every prisoner's cell was built in the Li Kingdom or if she was considered a high-security prisoner.

Then as if to answer her question, she heard two gruff voices from one end of the hallway.

"Why would they put a peasant girl down here?"

"She looked as if she was running away."

"If you ask me, the Prince has gotten a bit loony. I mean, this is a cell for really dangerous prisoners. And he puts a _girl_ in here?"

Footsteps echoed down the hallway the next moment. "Yes, I've lost my mind, that's it," barked the deep strong voice Sakura had heard in the forest before. "Have you even thought for a moment that perhaps she's hiding something? Or going off to tell someone of our whereabouts?"

"No Sir, I didn't think about that," the guard said, sounding worried.

"Go off and tend to the other cell-mates. I want to speak with her."

"Alone Sir?" Said the other guard.

"Yes alone," he said in a hard voice.

"I was just trying to have a conversation," mumbled the man to the other as their voices faded away.

Sakura felt curious. She was not afraid. There was no point being afraid now. She was captured and she would definitely be tortured. But she would do everything she could to keep from spilling her foster Kingdom's secrets.

She was curious as to why this man had changed her appearance. Had he tried to save her?

Sakura heard Prince Li's footsteps echo down the hall towards her. His footsteps were slow and uncertain. There was something on his mind, and no doubt, it was her.

Sakura was still staring straight at the wall in front of her, using her peripheral vision to see him appear from the right side of the hall. From what she could tell, he had brown hair and a tall stature.

"Who are you?" He said in a low voice. It was full of wonder. That made Sakura's steady stare falter a bit, but she said nothing.

"Answer me."

Sakura did not move and kept her eyes away from him.

Prince Li sighed and drove a hand through his hair. "Would you just look at me?"

Sakura decided to comply. Her eyes rested on him and she was immediately caught off-guard, though she tried to show no sign of it. She still stared blankly at him, though inside her, her heart had skipped a beat.

He was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

Prince Li had dark brown hair that hung over amber, piercing eyes. He was tall with a muscular build. He had a strong jaw-line and stubble from a growing beard. He had dark bags under his eyes that told of nights without sleep but it added to his mysterious and handsome face.

Prince Li stared into her eyes, as if he was reading her soul. But Sakura did not look away... she _could_ not looking away.

"You know magic," he simply stated. Still, Sakura did not say a thing.

"Look," Prince Li sighed again. "I want to help you. I do not know why, but I do. Have you not noticed that I have made you appear a peasant? I saw your soldier uniform. I know what you are. But I want to know _who_ you are. Who besides the witches and sorcerers of my land holds magic?"

"I could ask the same of you," Sakura said, and was surprised at how clear and strong her voice came out. "You were unaffected when I froze time, why?"

"I can control time as well," Prince Li said in his deep voice.

"You are a sorcerer?" Sakura asked.

"No," Prince Li said, looking unsure of himself.

"Then? Does the Li family possess magic?"

Prince Li was impressed by the woman's quick thinking, though he wasn't going to admit his family's biggest secret and strongest weapon.

"I'll assume I'm right then. Should I also assume that your tactics of torturing will be far more extreme than that of other lands?" Sakura said in a dull voice, though inside she was slightly afraid. She had learned throughout her years as a soldier to not let her emotions leak through. Keeping a calm and strong exterior made the enemy think that their opponent was much more powerful than they would have assumed. Though with the façade, Sakura had also lost the ability to cry.

"Yes, that would be correct. However, I've disguised you as a peasant, so no one knows that you possess magic. Everyone assumes you are a spy. Tell me who you are and I can alter your circumstances."

"If there's anything I've learned from experience, it is not to trust others. Especially the Prince of the enemy Kingdom," Sakura simply stated.

Prince Li began to pace the hall and Sakura's eyes followed his form.

"I am unsure of what to do with you Miss…" Prince Li said, stopping to look at her. His hair fell into his eyes as he spoke.

Sakura felt that alien sensation in her chest again but said nothing.

"I find you quite intriguing, I must say. I think that I will keep you around, Miss…Mystery," he said in a drawl. Sakura was stunned. He made her sound like a toy.

"Without your powers of course," He finished.

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

Prince Li took out a small board he had tucked in the back of his trousers. He unfolded it to reveal a large square board with intricate designs and writing in Chinese. He bent down and placed the board directly in front of her, with the bars of her jail cell separating them. Prince Li got down on one knee, leaned forward, and placed his fingers together, his index fingers pointing up towards the ceiling. He then started chanting, and Sakura could feel a small wind form in the room. The edges of the board began to emit light and Prince Li glowed in the dark dungeon. His hair was being blown around by the wind as was Sakura's.

Now she felt frightened, and if he was to look, Prince Li would see the fear on her face. What was he doing? Was he indeed going to take her powers away from her? But they were already weak! Would she have none of it left? Sakura could not imagine life without her magic… Then there would be no escape from the Kingdom she loathed so much. Then there would be no way for her to complete her mission of rescuing Princess Daidouji.

But that was what he wanted. She felt sick to her stomach. A hatred she had never known she could possess filled her up as she stared at Prince Li's chanting form.

He glanced up at her, as if he could feel her glare burning through him. The light faltered as he realized the aura she really had. Then the light reappeared strong, his eyes more determined than they were before.

Never before had she felt this much anger. He was stripping her of her dignity and she could do nothing but watch.

She mentally scoffed at herself for having thought he was trying to rescue her before. What could his plan be?

Suddenly the light disappeared and Prince Li stood up, straight and tall.

He opened the cell door with a smile on his face.

Sakura got into a fighting stance as he strode slowly toward her.

"I advise you to not try anything soldier. You have no magic to defend yourself, and I have plenty."

Sakura grudgingly straightened up and let her hands fall to her sides, glaring at Prince Li with hatred. Usually she would have fought and most likely won, in a match against a normal man.

However Prince Li held magic, and she didn't know how much magic that was.

"Who are you?" He said again, intrigued. His eyes poured into hers and became shadowed by something she had seen in men before.

She backed away from him until she met the cell wall behind her. "Do not come near me," she said in a serious voice.

"What is it about you that draws me in, unnamed soldier? Is it your eyes? Is it your hair? No. It's the aura about you. It is an aura of shear strength. I have never seen that in a woman," he pondered aloud inching ever closer to her. "It comes with the pain of loss and the coldness of never being loved."

Sakura looked into his eyes and saw something she did not expect to see. It was sadness. Prince Li _understood_ her?

"And you are the same," she said in a shaky whisper. "You are just like me, are you not?"

And the next thing she knew, his lips were on hers, in a soft, yet brilliant, kiss.

**A/N: Please review! :D**


	3. Please, Let Me Go

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the story alerts! I hope you like this chapter! And please, don't forget to review. I'm going to start commenting on the reviews I recieve. Please tell me what you think of the chapter!**

**Chapter 3:**

**Please, Let Me Go**

Maybe it was because she had never been kissed before, or maybe it was because the storm of mixed emotions inside her confused and played with her senses. Whatever it was, she was certain that his kiss was amazing.

Only their lips touched, but it seemed like Sakura's entire body was reacting to it. She felt butterflies in her stomach; a sort of aching pleasure.

He was soft, not aggressive, as though he was being careful not to scare her.

Moments ago, Prince Li had spoken as if she would be his toy, and kissing her was proving that notion. He would do what he wanted with her.

And yet Sakura was _enjoying_ herself.

That was absurd! Was she not destroying her own dignity?

But she had seen something in his eyes. It was her loneliness being reflected back to her. It was an echo of her own heart.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pressed his body against hers. Sakura's back was against the cold cell wall and she could feel his chest against her chest. It was such a satisfying feeling to be that close to someone. She felt warm, protected, and _wanted_. She had never felt like such a woman before.

And then he pulled away. His arms were still on her waist but his face had pulled inches away. He stared at her, into her soul with those beautiful eyes. She looked back at him, slightly scared now, unsure of what was going on.

"Who are you, lost girl?" He whispered.

Sakura looked at him with sadness in her eyes. His question hit her harder this time, for she had felt lost her entire life.

"I really don't know. I never have," she said softly.

And he left Sakura in a whirlwind of confusion. He pulled away from her and walked out of her cell, his boots echoing down the corridor and up a set of stairs in the distance.

Sakura felt emptiness envelope her as he walked away. She yearned for him to come back, to hold her again.

Who was that man? He seemed like a lost cause himself; always changing is mood and his motives. Sakura didn't know what to feel. Was he tricking her?

But the emotion in his eyes was so real…

--

Down the corridor and up the stairs, through an iron-barred door and up another staircase, Prince Li was making his way up to the High Sorcerer's study. He wasn't thinking too hard. He distracted himself from the thoughts of the woman in the cell with how black the stone floor was. He looked up at the familiar walls, having travelled this path through the castle many times before.

He had done what the Sorcerer had told him to do. He had stripped the woman soldier of her magic. Anyone outside the Li family who held magic could not be allowed. It was a danger to their throne.

But the Sorcerer had not told him to speak such words to her…

And the Sorcerer had definitely not told him to kiss her.

Prince Li's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. What had made him do it? He had never kissed anyone before in his life. Yes he had slept with a few women, but he had never let them kiss him…

And now he felt that what he had feared would happen had become true. His emotions were stirred up. A kiss meant a lot more than all that other stuff.

He was frustrated with himself. He didn't even know who she was! Hell, she didn't even know who she was.

Prince Li stopped to gaze out a window overlooking the courtyard. That was wrong. She knew who she was but not where she came from. She did not know her origin.

Prince Li found himself pondering who that woman could be while he watched a group of soldiers battle in the courtyard in the small arena made for that purpose.

He watched them jab at each other with their swords, each dodging the other. That led him to another thought. That woman was a soldier. He had seen her uniform; he had changed it to peasants' clothes out of fear. Something had made him do it, but what?

Frustrated, Prince Li continued towards the Sorcerer's office.

He knocked twice when he reached the tall door that looked like it was part of the light brown stone walls. A knock from the other-side was his signal to enter the room. He was met by the familiar office of the High Sorcerer. It was all the same light brown colour, from the desk to the walls. The carpet and the drapes however were dark green, the Li Kingdom's colour.

"Have you done it?" A croaky voice said from behind the large desk. The tall wooden chair was facing a large window, overlooking the courtyard.

"Yes, but I must say, she was quite strong."

"Very interesting… Who was this peasant girl?" The Sorcerer asked, his chair bobbing up and down as he rocked in it.

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me," Prince Li said, remembering her defiance.

"Interesting indeed - I must speak with her."

Prince Li was taken aback. "…at this moment?" He asked in a steady voice.

"Yes."

The Prince strode out of the room in a daze. He shut the door and walked away, knowing it would disappear behind him.

He did not know what to think. Why was he so bothered by this situation? Why was he so worried about that girl? What would the Sorcerer do to her? Would he just speak with her or would he…

The Prince cringed as he remembered what the High Sorcerer had done to people before. He could not let that happen to her…

And yet what could he do? What could be done to save her? There was nothing… She would _have_ to speak with him. He could only hope she would be okay.

--

Down in the dungeons, Sakura was sitting on the cold stone floor. She had managed to pull out a small broken piece of stone from one of the cell walls. Now she sat cross-legged on the floor with the broken rock in front of her. She had her eyes fixed on it, her hands outstretched on either side of the stone, with her palms facing it, as though she were holding a ball and the stone was in the middle.

She concentrated with all her might. She wanted to make it _move_.

But to her dismay, the rock didn't stir.

Then Sakura heard footsteps coming down the hall. She felt her heart fill with the hope of seeing Prince Li.

She was shocked at herself. What was wrong with her? She had never behaved like such a – such a – _girl_ before.

To her heart's content, not her mind's, Prince Li appeared, looking more tired and bothered than before.

"You have to come with me," he said in a cold voice.

Sakura became afraid. Without her magic, she had lost a bit of her nerve. There wasn't a foundation for her confidence anymore.

Was he going to take her to be tortured?

"Where are you taking me?" She asked while he opened the barred door to her cell. She stepped out when his expression told her to do so.

"You are going to meet with the High Sorcerer of the Li Kingdom," Prince Li stated as he led the way down the hall.

Sakura's eyes widened in fear and her breathing increased. She felt slightly dizzy…

It was as though the Prince could tell. He turned around and put a reassuring hand on her waist to hold her up as they made their way down the hall.

"I will try my best to not let anything happen to you," he said in a quiet whisper.

"But you can't make any promises," Sakura croaked out. She caught the Prince's look of sadness.

"No, I can't," he said as he stopped her in the middle of the hallway and turned her around to face him. He looked deep into her eyes and Sakura looked away instinctively. "If you tell me who you are… it will help."

Sakura looked at him, her mask of strength completely gone. "Why do I feel like I can trust you? Is your magic that powerful? My mind is telling me that this is all wrong and yet something else is pushing me to share… I don't know if I can," she could not believe she was pouring out her thoughts and feelings to this man. She had never spoken to anyone so openly before.

"Do you have any other choice but to try and trust me? Your magic is gone, on the Sorcerer's orders. I too do not understand why I feel this drive to protect you, maybe it's in the stars, but I must…" Prince Li was amazed at his own words. What was this pull she had?

"Just let me go," Sakura said, her eyes pleading. "I need to leave."

Prince Li looked at her for another moment, unsure of what to do. Then he turned back around and continued down the hallway, dragging Sakura by her arm.

"I can't do that," he said gruffly. "You don't know what he's capable of."

"Will he see through me?" Sakura asked, referring to her peasant's appearance.

"He already knows what you are. Like I said before, he's the one who ordered me to strip you of your magic," Prince Li said, as they started to ascend the first flight of stairs.

Sakura sighed in sadness as she tried to collect herself. There was no point in trying to escape at this moment. Prince Li would not let her go and even if she could get passed him, the castle was a mystery to her. Surely someone would think a fleeing peasant an odd sight and she would be caught again and perhaps put into even more dire circumstances.

So Sakura let Prince Li lead the way while she memorized the path they took. She observed every inch of the castle she could see. She might have lost her powers, but her cunning and strategic training had not escaped her. She would make a run for it, when the time was right.

When they finally came to a halt, Sakura did not notice. She was still tracing the hallways in her mind.

She was brought back to reality when she heard Prince Li knock on a wall. She looked at the stone he had knocked and was startled when she heard a knock in reply, from the other side of the wall.

Magically, a door appeared, and Prince Li opened it. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then he stepped in ahead of her.

"I've brought her," Prince Li said.

Sakura stepped into the room; her eyes settling on the man behind the wooden desk. He had dark grey hair that curled tightly around his head. He had a long face, covered with many lines, adding age to his appearance and he had heavy but thin brows with a moustache to match. He also had on a sour expression, one which immediately put Sakura on guard.

"Hello my dear," said the man, standing up to greet her. He pointed at the chair in front of his desk. Sakura could have sworn it hadn't been there a moment ago.

Sakura steadily walked over to the seat and stood in front of it, a steely expression on her face. She refused to look at Prince Li, fearing what his face might give away. She would handle this situation on her own.

The man inclined his head, gesturing for her to take a seat.

Sakura thought of the different strategies she could use. She could, for one, be rude and confident by asking him to tell her his name. She thought better of it, although pretending to be a meek peasant would be a bad idea too. She was already captured, she had already been discovered to have held magic… what could she do?

She decided to take it one step at a time. She sat down on the chair, her back straight, not letting it rest on the back of the chair.

"What is your name, my dear?"

Sakura hesitated. She wondered if she should tell the truth. She knew that as a soldier, her name would not be well-known, but on the other hand, she was an orphan. What power could her name possess?

"My name Sumiko," Sakura said, and in her mind she smiled at her little joke. Sumiko meant 'person of goodness'.

"A rare name," the Sorcerer commented. He eyed her skeptically. "I'll play along, for now. Where is it that you were trying to flee to?"

"The Daidouji Kingdom," Sakura said, a plan forming in her mind.

The Sorcerer's eyebrows raised questioningly. "Why?"

"Because I am a lady of her court. She had last been in the Kingdom of Serviar, now destroyed. I had been left behind when the army came to attack and Princess Daidouji was rushed to her homeland. I was found trying to make my way back to my home."

"But you possess magic," the man stated.

"That is why I am a part of her court. I help protect her," Sakura said.

"How strong is the army?" He asked in a low voice.

Sakura didn't know what to say. She didn't know how the mind of the magician worked. Would he be pleased or unhappy if she said they had little magic? Would the Lis leave the Daidouji Kingdom alone if she said that? Sakura was not sure. But from the knowledge she knew of the Li Kingdom's reckless path, they would abolish the Kingdom nonetheless. Perhaps it would be better to say nothing.

"I do not know Sir. I am a woman of the Princess' court. I do not know the occurrences of the army," Sakura tried to make her voice sound nervous. If she was saying that she was a woman of the princesses court, she would have to act like one.

"Very well," the Sorcerer said. "We will make use of you. You will help us infiltrate the Daidouji Kingdom."

Sakura's eyes widened. What had she done?

"With your knowledge of the castle grounds and your closeness to the Princess, the task of kidnapping the royal family will be a simple one. You will comply," he said, looking at her expression of shock.

"I told you before. My affairs are only in court. I do not know the castle grounds."

"Your access into the Daidouji Kingdom will prove useful enough my dear, don't you worry," he said, in a cold voice. "Now, Prince Li, will you take this lady to a bedroom? Get her out of these clothes and into proper ones. Grant her food and rest. We need to begin our plans to infiltrate the last Kingdom that threatens us."

Sakura wanted to lash out at the man before her. How dare he? No one was threatening the Li Kingdom! They were destroying everyone to gain land and to become the only kingdom with magic! She wondered if he was simply saying this so that Prince Li would believe him.

"But the Daidouji Kingdom is not threatening you!" Sakura yelled, in a way she knew a woman would. "We are peaceful! We would not disturb another kingdom!"

"How would you know, girl? If you only spend time in court, having no knowledge of affairs outside of the kingdom?" The sorcerer said menacingly.

Sakura swallowed the bile that had built up in her mouth.

"Take her away now," he said to the Prince.

She jumped up from her seat and walked out the door of the office, in front of Prince Li.

She turned on him when she heard him exit. The door had already become a stone wall again.

"What are you, his dog?" She said, angrily.

Prince Li looked shocked by this, then his expression changed to a cold and deathly glare.

"You just listen to him? Follow his orders? Don't you have a mind of your own? Don't you know what he is telling you is a – "

"DO NOT speak to me that way," Prince Li said loudly. Sakura closed her mouth. She stared at him hard.

"You are blind. Can't you see that he's lying to you?" Sakura said, exasperatedly.

"I can see that you are," said Prince Li coldly. I found you in the forest in an army uniform and you tell the Sorcerer that you're a woman of court!" Syaoran said, looking appalled.

Sakura groaned in frustration. Never had it been so hard for her to get someone to listen. In the Maran Kingdom, her words had been respected.

"Don't you see that I had to lie? I asked you to free me but – "

"You know there is no way I could do that," he said sharply.

"In the dungeons, you hesitated," Sakura said, her eyes narrowing. "I know there is a way out, and I will find it," she said with hard confidence.

"Which is why I won't keep my eyes off you," Prince Li said.

'Did he step closer when he said that?' Sakura thought, her heart beginning to race. All thought of the previous discussion vanished from her mind. 'Am I imagining the way his eyes looked?'

"Is that the only reason?" Sakura said, surprised at her own teasing.

Prince Li smirked, and began to lead the way down the hall.

Sakura was a captive, determined to find a way out. But with a guard like Prince Li, who could help but be a happy prisoner?

**A/N: What will happen next??????**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I haven't recieved much reviews for this story yet and I'm disappointed... please review or I won't have a reason to continue :)**

**Love you [to those who press that review button :P]**

**ImmortalWishes**


End file.
